“Yes,” I answer firmly.
Walker points to the unknown man's picture. “And you don’t recognize this man?”
I shake my head, giving the same answer as before. “No. Should I?”
“This is Derek Holt,” he informs me. “He’s a firefighter.”
“The first victim,” I deduce, then scoff. “Well, that’s ironic.”
If dark humor is the only thing that makes me smile right now, I’ll take it. I’m at the point where I’m either going to laugh or cry hysterically, and I’m choosing to laugh.
Walker tilts his head to the side inquisitively. “How so?”
Raising my eyebrows, I speak slowly, emphasizing each word condescendingly. “He’s a firefighter, and he was set on fire.”
“And?” Walker mirrors me, leaning back in his own chair.
I know he's just doing his job, but it is annoying the hell out of me.
“If I need to explain irony to you, then public education failed you,” I retort.
Walker gives me another chance to come clean. “Blake, tell me the truth. Why were you there?”
“I already told you,” I reply with tight lips.
“Tell me again,” he insists.
“I was checking on my mom,” I repeat.
Walker rests his forearms on the table, leaning toward me and lowering his voice. “That’s not the real reason.”
Rolling my eyes, I respond. “If you would just list?—”
Walker jumps to his feet, his chair scraping against the tile floor. He slams his hand on the table, causing me to jump. “The body was found right next to your mother’s trailer. You got there before me, my deputies, and the fire department. I want to know how.”
“Lucky guess,” I lie again.
Walker’s jaw flexes, irritation rolling off him. “Bullshit.”
“I had a hunch.” My eyes drop to my lap.
“How?” he pushes again.
My hands ring together as I swallow dryly.
Do I tell him? Will he believe me? Will he be angry?
I guess Walker’s anger is better than him believing that I’m a murderer.
My heart races as I chew on my bottom lip. “I’ve been getting these texts.”
“What texts?” Walker grits out.
“The reason I came back…” I trail off, then choose to start at the beginning. “I was at a club with my best friend, Savannah, when I got these text messages from this guy.”
Walker sits back down. “Who?”
“I don’t know who it is. I actually don’t even know if it’s a man. That’s just what I say in my head.”
